Juninho, a Brazilian who helped Lyon to seven consecutive French Ligue 1 titles from 2002-08, has signed with the Red Bulls.Fred Dufour/AFP/Getty

Four days after ridding themselves of the Rafa Marquez, an underachieving midfielder and Major League Soccer's second-highest paid player, the Red Bulls filled his position with another big name, one they hope will be able to do what Marquez never quite accomplished in his two and a half years with the club.

The Red Bulls signed Brazilian star midfielder Juninho, who will be officially added to the team’s roster pending receipt of his P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate.

Juninho, a member of the 2006 World Cup team for Brazil, played last season with Brazilian club Vasco da Gama.

“Juninho is a world-class player who our global sporting director, Gerard Houllier, and I have known and admired for many years,” Red Bulls sporting director Andy Roxburgh said in a statement. “Aside from being a top dead-ball specialist and a tremendous talent, Juninho is a fantastic professional both on and off the field. He is in great physical shape and we think he can make a positive impact for us in 2013.”

Juninho, 37, played 50 games for Vasco da Gama since 2011 and scored 14 goals. Prior to that, Juninho was with Qatari club Al-Gharafa, helping the team win the league title while earning Player of the Year honors.

The 5-10, 156-pound Juninho played with Lyon from 2001-2009, scoring 100 goals in 344 games in all competitions. His 100 goals are fourth all-time in club history.

With Juninho, Lyon won seven straight French league titles from 2002-08, the only seven titles the club has won in its history.

At Lyon, Juninho played for Houllier from 2005-07 and was named Ligue 1 Player of the Year in the 2005-06 season.

He made his Brazilian national team debut in 1999 and earned 47 caps while scoring seven goals. He retired internationally following the 2006 World Cup.